I am seriously considering starting to cut my front yard (Centipede) next year with the reel mower. What height are you cutting at? If I recall correctly, there are one or two members here cutting low on centipede.

 

Right at 1"- anything less the 3/4" HOC I started uproot stolons and it looked bad.

 

Nothing fancy but cutting with a rotary without a striping kit so I'm happy.

 

My front yard is about 50/50 centipede bermuda mix. I've been cutting at .5" all season trying to push centipede out and get bermuda to spread. Not working, to my surprise, the centipede seems to like it low.

 

That is the darkest centipede I've ever seen, what have you put on it?

 

I do what I can with my centipede, rotary, and homemade striper.

 

Those lawns look good!! Im hoping to get mine like that next year once i cure my crabgrass problem. Centipede can look very good when its taken care of right. Although it doesn't seem like the most desired lawn for a homeowner

 

@Brodgers88 had some nice looking centipede.

Lawn Journal

 

That is the darkest centipede I've ever seen, what have you put on it?

Not much honestly. Use 21-0-0 at .75lb N/1k in May and July. Then use 0-0-50 and granular sulfur. I have a high PH 6.5ish. So trying to lower it to get it more suitable for centipede.

 

Although it doesn't seem like the most desired lawn for a homeowner

Ok so here is a question for everyone.... why do so many people say this about centipede? I see comments that make it seem like centipede is some kind of "second class" grass. Why is that?

The reason I ask is that I am seriously considering seeding TifBlair for my lawn next year. I've seen photos on here from @Darth_V8r who has a gorgeous TifBlair lawn.

And the folks who posted photos on this thread also have beautiful centipede lawns.

So why does it get a bad rap?

 

Although it doesn't seem like the most desired lawn for a homeowner

Ok so here is a question for everyone.... why do so many people say this about centipede? I see comments that make it seem like centipede is some kind of "second class" grass. Why is that?

The reason I ask is that I am seriously considering seeding TifBlair for my lawn next year. I've seen photos on here from @Darth_V8r who has a gorgeous TifBlair lawn.

And the folks who posted photos on this thread also have beautiful centipede lawns.

So why does it get a bad rap?

I think that it is not as well liked because of the typically light green color and the rough texture. I see it called lazy mans grass a bunch and I think it is more intensive to keep condition than most think.

 

Centipede is also harder to manage with post weed emergent. I struggle with bahia grass in some spots and the turf is very sensitive to herbicide. my backyard is in the process of converting to Bermuda and going to keep the front centipede for now.

 

I have Bermuda in my front and centipede in the back. I cut my Bermuda at 5/8 to 1 1/2 depending on rain and heat. I keep my centipede around 1 1/2 to 2. I cut both with a reel mower (Trucut 20)but I can't get any striping. I have a roller on the front and I love the way it cuts but I would like some stripes. Can anyone give me some info on how to accomplish this?

 

Centipede definitely stripes, just have to use a mower with roller, preferably a reel mower(greens mower best). I kept my centipede at 3/4" hoc mostly and it did well. I used to double cut the same pattern to enhance the stripes. Only reason I renovated is because it is not my favorite type of grass(coarse blades, slow recovery, susceptible to disease, weaker root system). Centipede can be nice when managed properly. It is a little more forgiving as far as scalping goes if a mow is missed or has to be postponed.

 

@mbaisley Its hard to get dallisgrass out of it if thats a problem. Carpet grass also likes to creep into it in my area although its a bit easier to get out than dallis. Its an apple green color in general, won't get super dark like other turfs. For example having a bermuda yard using MSMA on it you can keep majority of other turfs out of it, dallisgrass, broadleaf weeds. You can kill everything but the bermuda..lol. Im sure there are other herbicides that can do this other than MSMA.

If I can get my centipede like the pics above Id be a happy guy. It has its advantages also with it being an easier to keep turf.

 

Pint of Clethodim w/oil per acre
wait 10days to 2 weeks
Another pint w/oil per acre
must split application

 

Centipede definitely stripes, just have to use a mower with roller, preferably a reel mower(greens mower best). I kept my centipede at 3/4" hoc mostly and it did well. I used to double cut the same pattern to enhance the stripes. Only reason I renovated is because it is not my favorite type of grass(coarse blades, slow recovery, susceptible to disease, weaker root system). Centipede can be nice when managed properly. It is a little more forgiving as far as scalping goes if a mow is missed or has to be postponed.

Curious is to how you kept the centipede out of your current lawn. I tried a renovation years ago and the centipede kept coming back.

 

Last August I did three applications of glyphosate two weeks apart(6 week's total). I watered and fertilized the lawn in between applications of glyphosate. Then I power raked it and removed all the dead material. I did my rye grass over the winter then in May this year I did two applications of glyphosate two weeks apart to ensure all was dead. So far I haven't had any weeds or old grass come up in the new turf. I still have centipede in my backyard so that's really the only concern of the centipede trying to encroach along with common bermuda and every weed known to man in the neighbors yard :roll:

 

@mbaisley Its hard to get dallisgrass out of it if thats a problem. Carpet grass also likes to creep into it in my area although its a bit easier to get out than dallis. Its an apple green color in general, won't get super dark like other turfs. For example having a bermuda yard using MSMA on it you can keep majority of other turfs out of it, dallisgrass, broadleaf weeds. You can kill everything but the bermuda..lol. Im sure there are other herbicides that can do this other than MSMA.

If I can get my centipede like the pics above Id be a happy guy. It has its advantages also with it being an easier to keep turf.

It is actually not that hard to kill grassy weeds in Centipede. Sethoxydim or Pylex may be used selectively. Tenacity is ok as well.

 

It's not perfect by any means, and i have a long way to go to get it where I want it, but I've enjoyed my Centipede yard. I just recently started reel mowing it (Earthwise manual reel)at approx. 1.5 inches. It's very uneven so it looks much better with the reel than the John Deere rider. I like the color personally. I can't speak for anyone else, but mine grows fairly fast. Reel mowing every other day right now to keep up.

 

Yes sir, I mow mine at 3/4" with my reel and it stripes nicely. I also spray it with PGR and iron at the same rate and interval as my bermuda so it is noticeably darker than the neighbors.

 

It's not perfect by any means, and i have a long way to go to get it where I want it, but I've enjoyed my Centipede yard. I just recently started reel mowing it (Earthwise manual reel)at approx. 1.5 inches. It's very uneven so it looks much better with the reel than the John Deere rider. I like the color personally. I can't speak for anyone else, but mine grows fairly fast. Reel mowing every other day right now to keep up.

This is one of if not the darkest centipede I've ever seen. Looks reel good bro. My last 3 mows I reel mowed for the first time ever, down to 1 inch with a Fiskars stay sharp max I scored for $50 off of Facebook market and I must say my lawn looks the best it ever has in the 4 years I had it. I just landed a sweet deal on a tru-cut for $300. I pick it up in a few days so I can't wait to see the results after.

Here's what she looks like now:

 

@mbaisley Its hard to get dallisgrass out of it if thats a problem. Carpet grass also likes to creep into it in my area although its a bit easier to get out than dallis. Its an apple green color in general, won't get super dark like other turfs. For example having a bermuda yard using MSMA on it you can keep majority of other turfs out of it, dallisgrass, broadleaf weeds. You can kill everything but the bermuda..lol. Im sure there are other herbicides that can do this other than MSMA.

If I can get my centipede like the pics above Id be a happy guy. It has its advantages also with it being an easier to keep turf.

It is actually not that hard to kill grassy weeds in Centipede. Sethoxydim or Pylex may be used selectively. Tenacity is ok as well.

Thank you for the tips. When you say selectively do you mean spot spraying?

 

@mbaisley Its hard to get dallisgrass out of it if thats a problem. Carpet grass also likes to creep into it in my area although its a bit easier to get out than dallis. Its an apple green color in general, won't get super dark like other turfs. For example having a bermuda yard using MSMA on it you can keep majority of other turfs out of it, dallisgrass, broadleaf weeds. You can kill everything but the bermuda..lol. Im sure there are other herbicides that can do this other than MSMA.

If I can get my centipede like the pics above Id be a happy guy. It has its advantages also with it being an easier to keep turf.

It is actually not that hard to kill grassy weeds in Centipede. Sethoxydim or Pylex may be used selectively. Tenacity is ok as well.

Thank you for the tips. When you say selectively do you mean spot spraying?

I mean that the lawn can be broadcast sprayed without injury to the Centipede.

 

Today's mow and trim,. Got the front and back (back not pictured)done. Hoping to put down some elemental sulfer, potash, bio stims and spot spray some weeds tomorrow.

 

Thought I would revive this old thread in order to show my latest Centipede stripes.